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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-23-2013 07:28 AM

zebedee

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

The press were all over Djokovic at that interview and let's hope they keep the pressure on.

Aside from anything else, WADA has denounced the Egg as unsporting. Lower-ranked players can't get into one as they don't have the money. Elevating your red blood cell count in this way is obviously going to assist the player who can either afford or, like Djokovic, has a multi-millionaire fanboy in tow as well as his dodgy doctor.

The point about the Egg is that it can be used to mask EPO doping. Anti-doping bodies like WADA have expressed serious concerns about it although they can't actually ban its use.

I am aware of that. And you can correct me if I am wrong, but I think when that story about the egg was reported, nobody outside of inner (doping) circles knew that a machine like this could be used to mask EPO. I think the public (even most journalists) only became aware of that after the USADA report on Lance Armstrong came out, which is why I am suggesting the idea that this story could have initially been planted by Team Djokovic to deflect from the (possibly more sinister) things that he was really doing. But whatever the case may be, the whole thing has now backfired on them anyway.

Weirdly enough, Nole's post-match interview was almost all about doping issues:

Quote:

Q. Radek was talking about one of the big sports stories of the day is Lance Armstrong admitting he used steroids. The interview was happening during your match and he wanted to se it.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Oh, really? I just heard the news. I haven't seen the interview, but I heard he was admitting that.

Q. Is that the kind of thing you'd definitely want to see for yourself?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, you know, I think everybody was expecting him to do that. I mean, it would be ridiculous for him to decline and refuse all the charges because it has been proven. They have like a thousand proofs that he's positive. I think it's a disgrace for the sport to have an athlete like this.

He cheated the sport. He cheated many people around the world with his career, with his life story. I think they should take all his titles away because it's not fair towards any sportsman, any athlete. It's just not the way to be successful. So I think he should suffer for his lies all these years.

Q. How comfortable are you that drug testing in tennis is rigorous enough?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, in tennis, you know, at least from my perspective, it's really good. Anti doping regulations a little bit maybe more strict in sense that you have to fill the whereabouts documents and you have to basically give an hour or two in every day of your life in a whole year, where you are.

But on the other hand, it gives them an opportunity to test you. And you know it is the same for the other players. At least from that point of view it's fair. And I have nothing against, you know, the anti doping federation, association, testing me 10, 20, 30 times a year.

I think as long as I know as many numbers of testing for the other players, I'll be happy.

Q. How about blood testing? The ITF records tell us in the whole of 2011 there was only 18 blood tests taken of the top players. How often would you or Andy or Roger or Rafa be blood tested?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I wasn't tested with blood for last six, seven months. It was more regularly in last two, three years ago. I don't know the reason why they stopped it.

As I said, I mean, as long as it's fair, it's clean, we're trying to protect the identity of this sport. I believe tennis players are one of the most cleanest athletes in the world and one of the most competitive sports.

So as long as we keep it that way, I have no complaints about testing.

Q. Would you disagree with Darren Cahill who said today that he believes the Anti Doping Program in tennis is inadequate and it's been going backwards in recent years?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: What is the reason for that?

Q. That's his opinion.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, I don't know. There has to be a reason why he said that, backstory.

I know Darren. He's a great guy, somebody that knows tennis really well, so must be something why he said that.

But in my opinion, yeah, there has been a complaints from players in few years, last few years, about this whereabouts system. Why do we need to write where we are every single day of our 365 days when most of the time we're spending on the courts and so forth.

Maybe that is something that is, you know, questionable. But on the other hand as many urine, as many blood sample tests they take, the better. Then you're aware that it's a clean sport and everybody has the same treatment.

Q. I think part of the issue is out of competition blood testing is expensive to carry out. Do you think the ITF should make it more of a priority to spend more money on that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, it's a question for them, I guess. From my point, I mean, I was more than clear. I have nothing against the blood tests, you know.

Even though I prefer urine more. I don't like the needles too much. But, of course, I mean, you know, the money in that direction should be invested because, you know, it's always let's say a safeguard for our sport that they're investing money in our sport that is going to protect our sport and players.

Q. A lot of cycling fans have lost a lot of faith in that sport now. Do you think tennis fans should be confidant that nothing like this...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I lost a lot of faith in cycling. I used to watch it. All the big champions that were there, Marco Pantani, now Lance Armstrong. Yeah, I don't want to say all. I really don't know. There has been so much controversy about that sport.

I'm sure that there are many cyclists in the world who are training very hard and trying to not use any enhancing drugs for their competition.

But I think it's not acceptable that they have physically so much races in short period of the time. I think basically every single day, day and a half, they have to go through 200 miles. Uphill, downhill in Giro D'Italia, Tour de France, that's inhuman effort. As you can see, Lance Armstrong, many other big champions, had to use something to succeed.

Q. Do you think tennis fans should have faith that that won't happen the same way?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: The results are showing that. In last few years there maybe has been one or two cases, but those players were more or less outside of the hundred. We are keeping this sport clean. We are working towards it. There is awareness with the players and with the officials. As long as is like that, we are in a good road.

Q. Would you be in favor of like a biological passport program that they're instituting in cycling for tennis?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, you know, we can discuss about the options for a while. But generally I believe that the present regulations about anti doping tests in tennis are good, in my views. I don't think there should be any major changes because, as you know, it's official. We have to write where we are every day of our lives so they have an opportunity to test us every day of 365 days in a year.

I think that doesn't give anybody a chance to do something that is unsportsmanlike.

01-17-2013 11:46 AM

Sombrerero loco

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

interesting points, but i dont agree with him on legalizing doping...

01-17-2013 11:30 AM

MaxPower

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

Soderling actually replied on Rochus doping accusations

translated:

Quote:

Now Soderling himself replies on the severe charges.

"I have learnt through the years that there is no use in commenting rumors and bullshit. New things come up anyway"

Instead Soderling wants to focus on getting back to tennis.

"You cannot protect yourself. Better to put energy on other things. Like getting back on court", he continues.

TV4:s tennis-reporter Mattias Tjernström asked Söderling on twitter if he had a time plan in getting back. Söderling replied:

- What used to be a game of finesse and tactics has turned into a war of nutrition. Nowadays, Tennis is mainly about who can hit the ball harder and do it for a longer period of time. That is especially true for the women, but it's also the case for the men. And what can help you with these things? Training, obviously, but PED's too. And not only do PED's aid a player's strength and stamina, they also aide a player's recovery, allow them to train longer and harder, make them move quicker around the court or even influence their mental game (e.g. make them more confident because they know they can hit the crap out of the ball for hours on end without getting fatigued) etc. How anyone can say, with a straight face, that doping doesn't benefit a Tennis player is beyond me. No offense to anyone, but that is dilusion at it's finest.

01-17-2013 08:40 AM

MaxPower

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

swedish media did a little piece on Rochus strange accusation of Soderling.

I just realized why Rochus dragged that out of his hat. He got whipped pretty good by the Soderking and probably thought he was an unbeatable superhuman.

2008 Lyon
France Carpet R16 Soderling, Robin
6-1, 6-2

2006 Stockholm
Sweden Hard R32 Soderling, Robin
6-1, 6-2

And the stats are extremely brutal. Rochus had only 1 break point in both meetings

01-17-2013 07:53 AM

philosophicalarf

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

The reason people are suspicious of Soderling is there've been a lot of fatigue-related illnesses in tennis the last few years, several dozens of players.

Cycling has had the same thing. It almost became a stereotype, "blahblah pulled out with chronic fatigue", usually soon after they were caught using EPO.

It may not be fair to Soderling, of course. However, that's what happens when the governing body just gives up on anti-doping completely. Suspicions will be rife about all manner of things, and a lot of innocents will get tarnished unfairly.

The Soderling mention actually makes a lot of sense. It´s amazing how these things fly below the radar, but if you look at it... Soderling came from a foot injury when playing Wimbledon. 3 weeks later he probably played one of the most powerfull perfomances i have ever seen on clay. The way he demolished Berdych and Ferrer was outstanding.

And then... he disappears.

Isn´t this suspicious? And i like Soderling, but this doesn´t add up.

I take it you don't recall what happened. Robin was very ill during Wimbledon and especially in the match against Tomic where he got beaten. He had no energy and obviously in hindsight he had mono there already. He then rested up a couple of weeks before Båstad and played lights out there. He cited a wrist injury that kept him out from Cincinnati and Montreal, but I'm positive it was illness just as much as the wrist. Instead he went to US Open, practiced some there, but in the morning of his first round match pulled out because of illness. The week after US Open he was diagnozed with mono. Basically he was ill already in Wimbledon, had some rest time afterwards to feel okay again, then played another tournament and it got much worse. He didn't just fall from the face of the earth, this happened gradually and he tried to come back in three tournaments after Båstad before calling it quits for the season.

That's the story that was being sold in the media, but what I find very interesting is that it was leaked at the 2011 US Open. After Djokovic went on his monstrous run, people were speculating in various blogs and comment sections whether he was doping. I find it quite likely that his camp leaked this story to deflect from any EPO or blood doping talk. After all, when he supposedly used this device, it didn't do anything for him. He still ran out of gas after 2 sets in the final against Nadal although he had more than 2 days to recover from his effort in the semi-final. That was nothing compared to what we witnessed in 2012, when he came back from a 5-hour semi-final match against Murray only to outgrind Nadal in a 6-hour final and that with less than 48 hours of rest.

The point about the Egg is that it can be used to mask EPO doping. Anti-doping bodies like WADA have expressed serious concerns about it although they can't actually ban its use.

01-17-2013 01:57 AM

bavaria100

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

While I do not agree with Rochus that doping should be legalized, I appreciate that he talked about the big elephant in the room: Doping in Tennis. I really wish more people would speak up, but as we have seen from Yannick Noah, as soon as you do, the whole Tennis world wants to lynch you. Anyways, like I said before, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that a lot of Tennis players (male and female) are doping. All the signs are there:

- Little risk - high reward: In Tennis, you can earn millions of $. Just by winning a Grand Slam title, you are what? $1,5 (?) million dollars richer these days? That's a big incentive for players to dope. Then add that the anti-doping system is a total joke and there's barely a 1% chance of getting caught, and it makes the prospect of doping only all the more attractive.

- What used to be a game of finesse and tactics has turned into a war of nutrition. Nowadays, Tennis is mainly about who can hit the ball harder and do it for a longer period of time. That is especially true for the women, but it's also the case for the men. And what can help you with these things? Training, obviously, but PED's too. And not only do PED's aid a player's strength and stamina, they also aide a player's recovery, allow them to train longer and harder, make them move quicker around the court or even influence their mental game (e.g. make them more confident because they know they can hit the crap out of the ball for hours on end without getting fatigued) etc. How anyone can say, with a straight face, that doping doesn't benefit a Tennis player is beyond me. No offense to anyone, but that is dilusion at it's finest.

- A lot of suspicious things have been happening in Tennis lately. There are players who have underwent a sudden spike in performance or total physical transformations. Others suddenly drop down the rankings once they have missed 2 OOC-tests. These things are usually an indicator for doping in ANY sport. There are stories of players using weird devices or working closely together with suspicious doctors (even known doping doctors), players locking themselves up in panic rooms to get around doping control, players claiming to have been close to death only to return about 2 months later (with absolutely no change to their physique) and immediately compete for the big titles again, players coming down with all kinds of suspicious injuries or illnesses where the story doesn't add up etc.

Obviously, everyone is free to think whatever they want, but IMO, it's a good thing to question things and not blindly buy into everything that the Tennis establishment is trying to sell to it's consumers, even if it hurts.

The egg was used during 2010, no? Rather than the end of the year/early 2011. I think Nole's ascent to greatness from late 2010 to the present day has myriad factors, far beyond mere improvement in fitness.

That's the story that was being sold in the media, but what I find very interesting is that it was leaked at the 2011 US Open. After Djokovic went on his monstrous run, people were speculating in various blogs and comment sections whether he was doping. I find it quite likely that his camp leaked this story to deflect from any EPO or blood doping talk. After all, when he supposedly used this device, it didn't do anything for him. He still ran out of gas after 2 sets in the final against Nadal although he had more than 2 days to recover from his effort in the semi-final. That was nothing compared to what we witnessed in 2012, when he came back from a 5-hour semi-final match against Murray only to outgrind Nadal in a 6-hour final and that with less than 48 hours of rest.

01-16-2013 08:32 PM

juan27

Re: Christophe Rochus wants doping to be made legal

rochus is right , it`s very strange than nadal made a great performance in roland garros and after that he is not playing since 6 months.....

his clay season was perfect and after that he not played anymore.

federer and murray are fighting for better dopoing controls

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